Simply put, if the sun has gone to bed, we should soon follow suit.

These days it’s old advice; outdated, no longer applicable to the modern world. Generations X, Y and Z have every temptation to stay up late and little motivation to wake up early.

Before the prevalence of electricity, “early to bed, early to rise” was probably an easier proverb to follow. When the sun retired and all was dark there wasn’t a whole lot to do besides sleep. I imagine there was little temptation to stay up late—no TV, no internet, no late night bars, and simply no light. Dawn must have been a welcome occurrence as it meant the time for activity.

Now we have every excuse to stay up late—the dark is no obstacle. And staying up late leads to sleeping in. I know very few people who happily welcome dawn. Besides my baby boomer parents and a few of their peers, most find waking up before 7:00 a.m. or even 8:00 a.m. to be simply absurd.

But this schedule is way out of sync with nature. Simply put, if the sun has gone to bed, we should soon follow suit. And when the sun arises, as should we.

Most of nature is on this timetable. Take birds, for instance. They’re never heard chirping at night as they’ve settled down to rest. And as soon as dawn strikes they’re again awake and lively. That’s the sleep schedule nature intended—not only for birds, but for humans as well.

Ayurveda has been saying “early to bed, early to rise” for thousands of years, and the advice will forever remain applicable.

Even the most basic understanding of the Ayurvedic doshas, given here, can explain why going to bed early and waking up early make so much sense.

We, and everything around us, are made up of the five elements: air, space, fire, water, and earth. These elements combine to form the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. They are biological energies that influence our bodies and minds, each having its own particular qualities and traits.

The Vata dosha is a combination of air and space. Vata’s qualities are light, mobile, dry, cold, erratic and subtle.

The Pitta dosha is comprised of fire and water. Pitta’s qualities are hot, sharp, light and intense.

The Kapha dosha is comprised of earth and water. Kapha is heavy, dull, stable, soft and static.

The doshas exist not only within our bodies but also outside of us, influencing the day’s energy. Each dosha is dominant twice a day, as follows:

2:00 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.: Vata dominance

6:00 a.m – 10 a.m.: Kapha dominance

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Pitta dominance

2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.: Vata dominance

6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.: Kapha dominance

10:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.: Pitta dominance

These times of dominance affect the way we feel by increasing their respective energy within us. For this reason, our bodies experience harmony when we carry out a daily routine that balances the doshas’ influences.

Hence, Ayurveda recommends going to sleep by or around 10:00 p.m.—during Kapha time. Kapha is slow, stable and dull. It also has that same kind of influence on our bodies and minds, which is ideal for falling asleep.

After 10 pm we enter the Pitta time of day. Pitta’s qualities are hot, sharp, light and intense. None of these traits are conducive to falling asleep. This explains why you get a second wind if you’re up at 11:00 p.m. or Midnight and feel ready and motivated to do anything but sleep; Pitta is in full effect.

Therefore, it’s best to go to bed by 10:00 p.m.—10:30 or 11:00 p.m. at the latest. This makes it much easier to fall asleep than a later bedtime.

Because Ayurveda recommends that everyone (with a few exceptions) wakes up early, we also need that early bedtime to ensure we get enough sleep. Ayurveda advises arising during brahmamuhurta—the two hours before sunrise. This is the best time for yoga and meditation—which are important practices in Ayurveda for maintaining health of the body and mind.

In these hours, the atmosphere is calm and quiet and the mind is relatively clear.

Not everyone may be so inclined for a 4:00 a.m. wake-up call, but at least try to be up by 6:00 a.m. The idea is to awake during Vata time. Vata’s light and mobile influence on the early morning hours make it easier to wake up and easier to empty the bowels.

After 6:00 a.m. we enter the Kapha time of day. Again that slow, dull, stable energy bears its effects. When you wake up at 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. you’ll likely feel groggy and sluggish because of Kapha’s influence. Even if you got a good eight hours of sleep, arising during Kapha hours means you still won’t feel fresh and well rested.

Sleep is considered in Ayurveda to be one of the three pillars of life along with food and sex. Not everyone needs the same amount of sleep, but we all need enough. It gives the body, mind and senses a chance to refresh and rejuvenate.

Depending on the individual’s constitution, Ayurveda recommends between six and eight hours of sleep a night.

Vata types need the most sleep, and Kapha types the least. To ensure that your six to eight hours are of good quality sleep, always try to go bed by 10:00 p.m. and wake up by 6:00 a.m.

Just like everything else in life, too much of a good thing can have negative effects; sleep included. Excessive sleep brings about as much imbalance as lack of sleep and causes causes lethargy, dullness, and heaviness. More than eight hours is only recommended for those who are ill, pregnant or elderly.

As for naps, they’re generally not recommended except in the summer, and for the ill, pregnant and elderly. Keep your naps to 20 minutes max.

In summary, try to follow these three principles for more quality and restful sleep:

Go to bed by 10:00 p.m., wake up by 6:00 a.m.

Get between six and eight hours of sleep a night

Avoid daytime napping

This rhythm keeps the body in sync with nature, and being in sync with nature is the ultimate definition of health.

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About
Julie Bernier

Julie Bernier teaches women the art of self-care so that they feel their healthiest and happiest in their own unique bodies. This holistic approach to individualized wellness is rooted in the ancient Indian knowledge of ayurveda: a complete medical science and way of life which explains that our wellbeing blossoms when we align ourselves with nature. Julie is a registered ayurvedic practitioner by the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America (AAPNA), a Certified Massage Therapist, and a classical hatha yoga teacher. She studied each of these modalities in the US and straight from the source in India. Connect with her at https://www.trueayurveda.com or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/trueayurvedadaily/

I have heard all of this info before, but I am very curious as to how to adapt these guidelines when living at an extreme latitude. I live in Alaska at latitude 61, where sometimes the sun doesn’t rise until after 10am and sets before 4pm. Any ideas for us Alaskans?

My latitude is not as extreme as Rachel's but the same principle applies. At latitude 52N, there is a huge variation in sunrise and sunset throghout the seasons. In India, where these principles were developed, the diurnal variation is not as great. Like Rachel, I'd be glad to receive guidance on this.

I admit that my sleep routine isn’t the best. But I thrive when I manage to keep it pretty stable and make sure I get my 8ish hours. This looks so great on paper but I have similar issues to Ian and Rachel. Here in Iceland the sun either barely sets or barely rises, depending on seasons. Oh and the birds, they chirp away almost all through the summer nights 😉

These are wonderful tips for people who live a “normal” life timetable. Are there any Ayurvedic suggestions for those of us who work shift work? Because unfortunately babies and medical emergencies don’t happen just during daytime hours…